Not less than 100 people died from the recent boat mishap in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, while scores of others were injured and some declared missing. The victims were said to be returning from a wedding ceremony in Gboti, Niger State, when the boat capsized. The boat was carrying over 250 people when the unfortunate incident occurred between Ebu and Dzakan villages in the Patigi Local government Area.
The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has commiserated with the families of the victims and pledged that the state government would spare no efforts in investigating the cause of the boat mishap and ways to avert such incidents. In addition to the extant safety measures, the governor promised that the government would design and roll out some statewide standard operating procedures for water travels to cover issues such as speed limits, loading limits, and wearing of life jackets by all passengers.
President Bola Tinubu has equally ordered a thorough investigation into the incident. He has directed that the Kwara State government and relevant federal agencies should work together to unravel the immediate and remote causes of this unfortunate accident. He has equally authorised that relief and necessary assistance should also be provided to the survivors and families of victims of the incident. Meanwhile, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has blamed disregard for laws regulating inland waterways navigation as a major cause of the accident. It also blamed vessel movement at odd times, excessive loading and non-use of life jackets as possible causes of the boat mishap.
The Kwara boat mishap is one among many in the country in recent times. It is regrettable that many Nigerians die almost every year in boat accidents across the country due to avoidable human errors. In April, a tragic boat mishap at Okoroma community along the Brass waterways in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State led to the death of five passengers. The boat was said to be carrying scores of passengers and goods from Yenagoa to the Brass Island and neighbouring communities when it suddenly went under due to overweight.
In July last year, no fewer than 16 passengers died after their boat capsized around Mile 2 area of Lagos State. According to Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), the boat was moving from Mile 2 to Ibeshe in Ojo axis at night when the incident occurred. Three months earlier, three persons were declared missing in a boat mishap that happened in Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State. The mishap occurred when the boat was conveying passengers to a local market in the area. Also, in October 2022, 76 persons died in one incident in Anambra State when a boat carrying 85 passengers capsized in the Ogbaru axis of the state. In all, no fewer than 701 persons were estimated to have died in 53 boat accidents in Nigeria between January 2020 and October 2022.
In most cases, officials of NIWA trace the cause of such accidents to overloading, reckless sailing, poor maintenance of boats, and turbulent weather, among others. However, there is need to regulate boat operations and other activities on the waterways to minimise the high rate of accidents in the sector. The time has come for the concerned authorities to enforce safety codes in our inland waterways. Therefore, we urge state governments to set up bodies that oversee water transportation in their states to complement the regulatory oversights of the National Inland Water Authority (NIWA), which has the statutory responsibility to enforce safety codes on jetties, loading points, boats, canoes, barges, and life vests, among others.
Henceforth, the regulatory authorities should ensure strict enforcement of the use of life jackets and other safety measures as conditions for operators in the business. It should no longer be business as usual. Operators and passengers that flout the rules must be sanctioned accordingly. NIWA and relevant state agencies must ensure that the inland waterways remain safe for passengers. The Kwara boat mishap is one accident too many. NIWA and other related agencies should investigate the incident and make their findings public. We commiserate with the families of the victims of the incident and pray for quick recovery of the injured.